[Sykes]

Hi!

I was lucky enough to to take delivery of my Chevy Bolt on January 2nd. I have one quick question: Has anyone gotten Key Pass to work properly with the myChevrolet App? Apparently it allows lock/unlock, remote start, etc. functions to work via phone bluetooth, but despite what the manual says, the myChevrolet app doesn't seem to have any reference to this at all.

Thanks!

 

[Bazinga]

I found the chevy site about the app, but can't help you much as I've never used it before.

https://my.chevrolet.com/learnAbout/mychevroletapp

 

[Forman]

I think you need on star set up to use my Chevy app. I'm wondering if we can use it after the free 3 months is over. The free 3 months includes most everything. Just checked and supposedly the basic is free for 5 years and that's what you need to run the app.

 

[Bill Calle]

I took delivery of my Bolt a couple of days ago and immediately set to going through the settings to see how the vehicle could be customized. KeyPass is such a prominent setting that it just needed to be explored, thus began my quest. It turns out, however, that there is virtually no public information on what it is or how to set it up. I spoke with my dealership, with Chevy technical support, reviewed the patents database, reviewed GM federal transportation safety board filings, etc. but all to no avail. I finally found an interview with the Product Marketing Manager from early 2016 where he explains what the feature is.

In summary, it is a feature for eventual car sharing applications. Let's say you wanted to rent a Bolt for a couple of hours. You log into an app on your smartphone, check local inventory, find one in a parking lot around the corner, download a security token (a KeyPass) and head over to the parking lot. As you approach the vehicle, the Bluetooth low energy beacon (BLE) in the vehicle activates the application on your smartphone which exchanges the KeyPass with the vehicle. If the KeyPass is authentic and validated by the vehicle, the vehicle flashes its lights to help identify itself and unlocks as you approach. This works from a distance of 200 feet or more based on how much interference is present surrounding the vehicle. The KeyPass application cannot start the vehicle, so I assume the actual key fob would need to be left inside the vehicle. At the conclusion of your ride, the KeyPass expires.

All in all this seems like a cool feature, but not something that is built into the myChevy app (or needed by it for it to perform its remote key fob functions). This is really designed for a use case involving a smartphone that has never been paired to the vehicle.

 

[cfspeakman]

Very interesting. Not sure you can lock your vehicle with the key fob inside. My 2016 Volt will not allow it. Good that it recognizes this to prevent one from locking themselves out accidentally.

 

[Sykes]

Thanks Bill, that's incredibly helpful! I'll stop trying to make it work then.

 

[eops]

Very interesting. Not sure you can lock your vehicle with the key fob inside. My 2016 Volt will not allow it. Good that it recognizes this to prevent one from locking themselves out accidentally.

I just hope people don't get to comfortable with not worrying about locking keys inside. If the battery happens to die one day it won't be detected and... you know the rest.

 

[EldRick]

In the Spark, IIRC you can turn the feature on or off.

 

[Cardyin]

Hi all,

There was a update for the MyChevrolet app for iOS that enables KeyPass functionality in the vehicle remote area. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I will the next opportunity that I get.

Cardyin

 

[Bazinga]

Hi all,

There was a update for the MyChevrolet app for iOS that enables KeyPass functionality in the vehicle remote area. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I will the next opportunity that I get.

Cardyin

Please let us know how that goes. I didn't think the Bolt would get it so soon since Bill Calle said it is a feature for eventual car sharing applications.

 

[bro1999]

So anyone actually use the Keypass feature yet? Seems the only real difference is that it would light up the Bolt as you approached? There has to be some other stuff it does?

 

[devbolt]

So anyone actually use the Keypass feature yet? Seems the only real difference is that it would light up the Bolt as you approached? There has to be some other stuff it does?

You can also turn on the car's climate control system if it is plugged in in order to precondition it so as to avoid any range degradation when starting out. Especially useful in the winter.

You can also remotely unlock or lock the car, and activate the horns/lights to help locate the car.

 

[bro1999]

You can also turn on the car's climate control system if it is plugged in in order to precondition it so as to avoid any range degradation when starting out. Especially useful in the winter.

You can also remotely unlock or lock the car, and activate the horns/lights to help locate the car.

You could do all that with the previous version of the MyChevy/Remotelink app. Trying to figure out if there is anything new added with the Key Pass update besides lighting up on approach.

Well, my Bolt will be here by Sunday probably, so I can figure it out then myself!

 

[devbolt]

You could do all that with the previous version of the MyChevy/Remotelink app. Trying to figure out if there is anything new added with the Key Pass update besides lighting up on approach.

Well, my Bolt will be here by Sunday probably, so I can figure it out then myself!

It seems like KeyPass as currently implemented in the Bolt is just a renaming of the MyChevy/Remotelink system.

According to the manual, KeyPass/MyChevrolet will also let you access charging functions (see the state of charge, change charging preferences, start/stop charging, etc).

 

[eops]

Would be cool if it can diagnose the battery, if there's anything they could implement if not already its that. Anyone know if that has been included? The more they can have things like that available to us the smoother it makes the process for them and us. b

 

[phil0909]

So anyone actually use the Keypass feature yet? Seems the only real difference is that it would light up the Bolt as you approached? There has to be some other stuff it does?

the mychevrolet app has a keypass settings screen. There is only the one function that I can see - Approach Detection for your phone. The Bolt owner's manual manual has a long list of keypass functions, but I just see some of them in mychevrolet. Maybe keypass is just a component of the mychevrolet app?

 

[Cardyin]

I finally got the KeyPass thing to work. I didn't get a lot of time to play with it, but it seems that the feature allows for two features:

1. Car proximity detection, which allow for lights and such to come on as the Bluetooth connection is established.
2. Allows you to use the MyChevrolet app features via the Bluetooth link instead of having to go through OnStar (data) connection.

Installation instructions from iOS MyChevrolet app:

1. "Start" car and make sure it's in Park
2. Make sure that KeyPass is enabled in settings of car.
3. Make sure Bluetooth is on your iOS app.
4. Open MyChevrolet App
5. Go to Key Fob section.
6. At top, you see a new link which allows you to setup Keypass sync. Click on this link.
7. Wait a few moments for the device and car to detect each other via Bluetooth.
8. Use device camera to scan the QR code that appears on the car's screen for security key exchange.
9. KeyPass setup complete.

I'm imagining that there may be some additional functionality in the future, but for now, it's just limited to what's in the MyChevrolet app already.

Cardyin

 

[masters]

I wonder if my problem of it cancelling out his related to these articles..



Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X Users Report In-Car Bluetooth Issues on ... https://www.google.com/search?q=6p+Nougat+Bluetooth

 

[TotaledJetta]

I just hope people don't get to comfortable with not worrying about locking keys inside. If the battery happens to die one day it won't be detected and... you know the rest.

I have a new Bolt and the idea that if the key fob fails, you can't get into the car, can't start it, seems a little scary. I miss having a physical key, like my 2003 Jetta. The battery in the key fob of it did die and in the spare it quit working and could not be made to work.

In the Bolt, whether it is on or off is rather subtle, not an advantage from my point of view, but I guess all the new cars are going that way.

 

[devbolt]

I have a new Bolt and the idea that if the key fob fails, you can't get into the car, can't start it, seems a little scary. I miss having a physical key, like my 2003 Jetta. The battery in the key fob of it did die and in the spare it quit working and could not be made to work.

In the Bolt, whether it is on or off is rather subtle, not an advantage from my point of view, but I guess all the new cars are going that way.

As with most cars with a smart key fob, there's still a mechanical key for entering the car. Page 42 in the manual shows how to do this. There's also a backup method to start the car if the battery fails in the key fob. The manual on page 38 describes the procedure. Also, the battery in these key fobs are easy to replace with batteries that are easily obtained.

These key fobs are pretty sturdy. I put my Prius smart key through the wash and the thing still works, buttons and all.

I agree that it is sometimes hard to determine if these kinds of cars are off or on, but there are pretty obvious indications if you bother to pay attention. In either of my Prii it was fairly obvious: the center display screen was on, and the instrument cluster was lit up and said "Ready". Our Highlander Hybrid has a similar setup. I suspect the Bolt acts the same.